Declines of amphibian and reptile populations are well documented. Yet a lack of understanding of their distribution may hinder conservation planning for these species. The Maryland Amphibian and Reptile Atlas project (MARA) was launched in 2010. This five-year, citizen science project will document the distribution of the 93 amphibian and reptile species in Maryland. During the 2010 and 2011 field seasons, 488 registered MARA volunteers collected 13,919 occurrence records that document 85 of Maryland’s amphibian and reptile species, including 19 frog, 20 salamander, five lizard, 25 snake, and 16 turtle species. Thirteen of these species are of conservation concern in Maryland. The MARA will establish a baseline by which future changes in the distribution of populations of native herpetofauna can be assessed as well as provide information for immediate management actions for rare and threatened species. As a citizen science project it has the added benefit of educating citizens about native amphibian and reptile diversity and its ecological benefits—an important step in creating an informed society that actively participates in the long-term conservation of Maryland’s nature heritage.
Amphibian and reptile species are among the most threatened groups of vertebrate animals [
Currently 93 native species of amphibians and reptiles occur in Maryland (20 anurans, 21 salamanders, 27 snakes, 19 turtles, and six lizards). The diversity of native herpetofauna is, in part, an outcome of the three physiographic provinces in Maryland: Appalachian, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain. Some species are restricted to particular provinces. For example, the Red-bellied Watersnake (
Since the Harris publication [
Ecological atlases are one of the many types of citizen science projects that have been successfully conducted throughout the world [
Atlas projects ultimately produce maps of the distribution of focal species. Repeated atlas efforts and comparisons can detect species’ distributional shifts. Atlas data can inform scientists about these shifts and provide important information for focused studies on the causes. The first ecological atlas using a systematic approach to collecting field data was conducted in the United Kingdom for plants [
The Maryland Amphibian and Reptile Atlas project (MARA) is a citizen science project with the goal to document the current distribution of all amphibian and reptile species in Maryland using a systematic and repeatable approach during the five-year period, 2010–2014. Another important goal is to provide current information on the location and status of rare or threatened species. MARA data will inform management strategies for the immediate and long-term conservation and protection of Maryland’s herpetofauna. Surveying large areas, such as an entire state, requires significant volunteer assistance and provides an opportunity to recruit and train novice participants, and thereby raises general ecological literacy by increasing awareness, skills, understanding, and knowledge of the natural world.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) and the Natural History Society of Maryland (NHSM) cosponsor the project. The MDNR is the chief government agency responsible for conservation of the herpetofauna of the state. The NHSM, established in 1929, supports the community of amateur and professional naturalists within the state and during the intervening years has organized and published research on Maryland herpetology.
Conducting the atlas project entails four principal challenges: defining the survey methods, preparing data handling strategies, recruiting volunteers, and managing the volunteer network. The methodological foundation for MARA is based on herpetofauna atlases conducted in other states and two Maryland breeding bird atlases: 1983–1987 and 2002–2006 [
Building an atlas on a grid base helps to meet the objective of using a systematic and repeatable method. The MARA uses a grid based on US Geological Survey 7.5-minute topographic quadrangle maps (called quads) divided into six equal blocks (Figure
Example of a US Geological Survey 7.5-minute topographic quadrangle map divided into six atlas blocks.
In 2009, prior to initiating the MARA project, a pilot study was conducted in one Maryland county to develop the procedures and goals [
Deciding the interval of the survey is strictly an estimate of the time to complete the effort based on the expected recruitment and effort of volunteers, as well as the anticipated detection rate of the herps. Ideally, this is the narrowest time interval possible so that the results will be least affected by any changes in distribution that may happen during the survey period. We chose a five-year period based on assessments of other state herpetological atlases (e.g., for Maine [
Data collected during active searching or incidental observations are recorded on a standard data sheet. Among the information recorded on the data sheet is locality and observer information; additionally the data sheet contains a checklist of all native species in the state by common names based on Crother et al. [
We measure active searching by recording the amount of time a surveyor conducts searches in a given atlas block on each date of survey work. Incidental observations are sightings that observers make when they are not engaged in a formal, active searching survey. Incidental records are added to the database just as active searches, except no survey time is noted.
For most common species, no additional information is required although photographs for each occurrence record are encouraged similar to procedures of the Carolina Herp Atlas [
All photos, audio recordings of anuran calls, and verification forms are reviewed by a verification committee who are experienced with Maryland’s herpetofauna (Figure
Data recorded and flow through the Maryland Amphibian and Reptile Atlas from collection to public release.
Data are managed through a central MARA database, which was developed and maintained by the MDNR (
Recruiting, organizing, and mobilizing volunteers to achieve the project goals and objectives required oversight at statewide and local levels (Figure
Organizational structure of the Maryland Amphibian and Reptile Atlas project.
To assist the county coordinators with recruiting, training, and motivating volunteers, and to develop strategies for collecting field data, a statewide coordinator was hired in August 2010. The statewide coordinator also conducts outreach efforts to promote the project, and to recruit and train additional volunteers. Additionally, the statewide coordinator produces a monthly project newsletter, educational materials relevant to the MARA project, and maintains the MARA website and social networking site. Federal wildlife grant money provided to the MDNR has been used to fund the statewide coordinator through a contract with the NHSM.
Maryland contains 23 counties, and the MARA project chose to organize field data collection at this level. The county coordinators are integral to the success of the statewide effort. Coordinators work at the local level to recruit volunteers and to oversee the collection of field data within their counties. One to two coordinators were recruited for each county.
The county coordinators employ various strategies to achieve adequate coverage within their counties. They all recruit and coordinate volunteers to collect field data. A few counties are coordinated by employees of county park and recreation agencies that have access to networks of volunteers interested in reptiles and amphibians. These coordinators rely heavily on that network to obtain data. Other coordinators rely on a few dedicated volunteers to collect most of the field data within their county.
For the county coordinators, an annual meeting has been held each February beginning in 2010 to prepare for the upcoming field season. Topics of discussion at these meetings include how to recruit volunteers, strategies for achieving adequate coverage of blocks and quads, field techniques for finding reptiles and amphibians, and success stories presented by some of the county coordinators themselves. This meeting is an important annual check on progress of the project and a rally for the upcoming field season.
Volunteers were recruited to the MARA project using various methods. Articles describing the MARA project and the need for volunteers were published in newspapers and nature club newsletters. Volunteers were also recruited at wildlife and nature festivals hosted at nature centers. MARA information was displayed before organizations such as the Maryland Association of Environmental and Outdoor Education in 2011 and 2012. Additionally, the two previous Maryland breeding bird atlases provided an existing network of citizen scientists experienced in atlas methods from which to recruit volunteers for the MARA through appeals at the Maryland Ornithological Society annual conferences in 2011 and 2012 and articles in their newsletter. Volunteers are also recruited through Facebook and Volunteer Match (
To aid the volunteers, several resources were developed to explain data collection and to ensure that data are assigned to the proper atlas block and quad. A handbook [
Paper copies of atlas blocks and a digital overlay of the grid system for use with Google Earth were made available to the volunteers. These and other resources are available on the project website (
As a means of retaining volunteers, two outreach products were developed. A monthly newsletter was initiated in November 2010. The newsletter encourages submissions from MARA participants. Photographs of interesting amphibian and reptile species encountered are highlighted in the newsletter in addition to accounts of experiences of MARA volunteers in the field. When county coordinators receive the newsletter by email, they send it to their local volunteers, and the newsletters are available to the general public through the project website. We established a Facebook page (
From January 1, 2010 to February 22, 2012, 488 citizen scientists have registered with the MARA database and contributed observations. This is a conservative estimate of the total number of actual contributors to the MARA, since this includes neither landowners that have granted access to private property nor those who assisted registered volunteers with active searching.
Surveyors have reported 13,919 occurrence records. This total includes 457 records from one county that were generated during the 2009 pilot study [
Number of occurrence records and search effort of registered MARA volunteers.
Volunteer contribution | Mean (per volunteer) | Mode | Frequency of mode | Minimum | Maximum | SD |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Records submitted | 28.52 | 1 | 186 | 0.00 | 1069.00 | 106.13 |
Opportunistic records | 5.89 | 1 | 224 | 0.00 | 280.00 | 20.72 |
Active search hours | 12.49 | 0 | 302 | 0.00 | 389.75 | 42.80 |
Quads surveyed | 2.98 | 1 | 334 | 1.00 | 82.00 | 6.92 |
Blocks surveyed | 5.53 | 1 | 316 | 1.00 | 284.00 | 18.76 |
Fifty-two percent (128/246) of quads have reached the minimum coverage goals of 25 species or 25 survey hours. Registered and unregistered volunteers have reported a total of 12,671 survey hours, but the number of survey hours reported per quad and block varied (Table
Species observed and person-hours of effort for blocks and quads.
Assessment | Count (quads/blocks) | Mean | Minimum | Maximum | SD |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Species reported per quad | 232 | 20.34 | 1 | 48.00 | 10.44 |
Species reported per block | 1301 | 8.27 | 0 | 43.00 | 7.82 |
Person-hours per quad | 246 | 51.51 | 0 | 649.00 | 79.55 |
Person-hours per block | 1301 | 9.74 | 0 | 522.50 | 24.41 |
Survey hours for the Maryland Amphibian and Reptile Atlas.
Surveyors have collected data from 232 quads and 1,302 blocks (Figure
Results of the Maryland Amphibian and Reptile Atlas as of February 20, 2012. The number of species recorded in each quad (a) and block (b) is shown in a categorized series.
Eighty-five of Maryland’s 93 native amphibian and reptile species have at least one occurrence record in the MARA database. Distributional data have been recorded for 19 frog, 20 salamander, five lizard, 25 snake, and 16 turtle species. Volunteers also located 12 nonnative amphibian and reptile species. Anuran records comprise 45% (6,371/13,919) of the records in the database (Figure
Mean number of presence records per class/order per quad. Number of quads = 232.
Class/order | Mean | SD |
---|---|---|
Amphibia/Anura | 27.43 | 26.03 |
Amphibia/Caudata | 6.59 | 8.35 |
Reptilia/Squamata-Lacertilia | 1.73 | 3.65 |
Reptilia/Squamata-Serpentes | 12.62 | 13.70 |
Reptilia/Testudines | 11.42 | 11.37 |
Number of occurrence records of amphibian and reptile species submitted to the MARA that the state of Maryland lists as endangered (E) or threatened (T).
Class/order | Species | State status | Number of records |
---|---|---|---|
Amphibia/Anura | Barking Treefrog ( |
E | 2 |
Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toad ( |
E | 1 | |
| |||
Amphibia/Caudata | Eastern Hellbender ( |
E | 1 |
Eastern Tiger Salamander ( |
E | 5 | |
Green Salamander ( |
E | 5 | |
| |||
Reptilia/Squamata-Serpentes | Mountain Earthsnake ( |
E | 3 |
Rainbow Snake ( |
E | 2 | |
| |||
Reptilia/Testudines | Bog Turtle ( |
T | 27 |
Green Sea Turtle ( |
T | 1 | |
Kemp Ridley Sea Turtle ( |
E | 5 | |
Leatherback Sea Turtle |
E | 1 | |
Loggerhead Sea Turtle ( |
T | 14 | |
Northern Map Turtle ( |
E | 3 |
The most commonly reported species of frog (a), salamander (b), lizard (c), snake (d), turtle (e), and total number of records per group (f) through February 22, 2012.
Voucher photographs or audio recordings accompanied 37% (5,203) of the submitted records. Through February 22, 2012, the verification committee has reviewed 4,406 records and determined that only 4% of the submitted records were misidentified.
Public participation in the MARA resulted in a total of 13,919 occurrence records, in just 25 months. The MARA compares well with other successful herpetofauna atlases including the Georgia Herp Atlas [
Though the number of registered participants was nearly 500 through the first two years of the MARA project, the majority of species records were submitted by less than 10% of the volunteers. This is consistent with the Carolina Herp Atlas [
The MARA project currently has a solid volunteer corps who freely contribute to the project by serving as county coordinators, steering committee members, and field workers. However, retaining volunteers for the duration of the project requires regular communication between the project management team and data collectors. This is important to ensure success of the project. Regular updates on progress are communicated via the project website, monthly electronic newsletter, and a social networking website. This communication is vital to ensure the participants remain interested and feel that the data being collected are being used [
To achieve consistent coverage, many atlas programs have standard benchmarks based on the number of species sampled within a given block or the hours of effort [
Atlasing efforts play an important role in biodiversity conservation by providing essential data on the occurrence of species [
Ultimately, the usefulness of atlas projects depends on the quality and quantity of data collected as well as the standardization of sampling methods and the appropriateness of the scale of sampling for the research question. An important function of our verification process is its capacity to quantify and correct error rates. The verification committee detected two primary error types during the early phase of the project: (1) animals were misidentified prior to data submission and (2) errors when submitting data to the online database, such as wrong photos submitted with a record or wrong species identity selected during data entry. The verification procedure enabled these errors to be identified and corrected prior to the records being finalized and the communication systems in place allowed feedback to the citizen scientists to reduce further errors. For example, in response to these findings, the MARA newsletter included, over the course of several months, articles containing information and techniques to identify the species that were found to be frequently misidentified and others discussing database usage and data entry.
Citizen science is perhaps the only practical way to achieve the geographic reach required to document ecological patterns and address ecological questions at scales relevant to species range shifts, broad-scale population trends, and impacts of environmental processes like landscape and climate change [
The MARA will establish a baseline by which future changes in the distribution of populations of native herpetofauna can be assessed. This project will be used to inform long-term conservation and protection strategies for Maryland’s amphibian and reptile species. The MARA provides an opportunity for citizens to actively learn about native species while collecting valuable distributional data that the Natural History Society of Maryland and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources will use for the conservation and protection of Maryland’s amphibians and reptiles. Educating citizens about native amphibian and reptile diversity and its ecological benefits is an important step in creating an informed society that actively participates in the long-term conservation and protection of Maryland’s natural heritage.
The MARA is funded in part by State Wildlife Grant funds provided to the state wildlife agencies by US Congress and administered through the Maryland Department of Natural Resources' Wildlife and Heritage Service. Thanks go to all the MARA county coordinators, steering committee members, verification committee members, and volunteers who generously gave their time to the project. The authors extend gratitude to all the private landowners and public land managers who granted land access for surveys. Thanks are extended to Lynn Davidson and Bob Swan for developing the MARA database.